Tufts Threat Assessment and Management Program

October 7, 2013

Dear Members of the Tufts Community,

Tragic events across the country in recent years have highlighted the dangers posed by violence on college and university campuses. I am writing to update you on our important proactive efforts to ensure the continued safety and well-being of our students, faculty, staff, and visitors.

Tufts is committed to maintaining an environment in which individuals are safe to learn, work, and live. In support of this commitment, we affirm that Tufts will not tolerate violence or threats of violence anywhere on its campuses or in connection with university-sponsored programs.

In order to ensure that we can identify, evaluate and address potentially threatening situations affecting members of the Tufts community, the university has recently established the Tufts Threat Assessment and Management (TTAM) program, whose trained threat assessment and management teams will evaluate and address violence and threats of violence made towards members of the university community. This multidisciplinary approach to threat assessment and management has been developed in close collaboration with senior leaders across the university, with assistance from nationally recognized experts on how to prevent violence on campus.

Recognizing and reporting early signs of a potentially dangerous situation are crucial to preventing violence and enhancing the university’s ability to provide assistance to community members who may be in distress. I encourage all members of the university community to use this program to learn how to recognize potential threats and the multiple ways to report concerns safely and, if you so choose, anonymously. I hope you will visit http://ttam.tufts.edu for more information about the program.

If you become aware of an emergency situation that you believe poses an imminent threat to the safety of the community or one of its members, you should still immediately call the Tufts University Police Department at one of the following numbers:

Medford/Somerville Campus: 617-627-6911

Boston Campus: 617-636-6911

Grafton Campus: 508-839-5303

Campus Phone (any campus): 6-6911

If you become aware of a non-emergency situation that you believe may pose a threat to the safety of the community or one of its members, I encourage you to report your concerns to the Tufts University Police Department. If you are not comfortable reporting to TUPD, you can file a report through EthicsPoint, which includes an anonymous reporting option, or email the TTAM team group email. You may also consult with a member of the TTAM team on your campus during business hours. A roster of team members is available on the TTAM website at http://ttam.tufts.edu.

I am grateful to the many members of the faculty and staff across the campus who have helped design the Tufts Threat Assessment and Management program and will be serving as team members. This new program represents an important enhancement to our efforts to keep the campus community safe.